This Week was Silent

This week may have appeared to be rather silent on the blog. There's a number of reasons for this that I could offer you. But I'm not going to make my life complicated by explaining it in depth. Let's just say that the internet is down for a bit from home. It was also a rather emotional week in general as it's an anniversary/birthday time for someone dear to me that is no longer with us.

We all grieve in our own ways. So don't ever let anyone say that it gets easier, or that you should be done grieving. The pain of loss never really goes away, sometimes it still feels like it was only yesterday that we lost her. But it's ok.

This is a picture I took of her in 2003. Which means it's 14 years old, but that's how I see her in my mind. She's been gone for 12 years. I guess the way time flies doesn't change how we feel about some people, we always love them no matter what.

My Grandfather has been gone for 20 years now. I don't feel his death as sharply as my Grandmothers. I'm not really sure why, maybe it's because I was younger when he passed than I was when she did. But as I said earlier, we all grieve differently. So maybe it's normal to feel the way that I do.

In any case, my mind has been rather heavy. My heart hasn't been feeling so good. But be assured things are fine, I'm just feeling a little sad, but we'll be alright. We always are.

What's on Screen? Baby's Day Out

When it comes to the early 90's there's a ton of movies that are considered to be classic. But no matter who you ask, what these films are vary. But in our house as I grew up, there were some movies that were on constantly. Mr. Boogedy, Bushwacked, Home Alone, and the movie that we're watching today. Baby's Day Out.

My father loves this movie. Almost a little too much to be honest. We've probably had almost 50 copies of it through the years. I might be exaggerating slightly, but I want you to understand how important or beloved the film is. It still is. I found the copy I'm watching for someone else. My brothers children requested it for the holidays. But it wasn't to be found in time for that. But since I don't give up easily, I found it! I picked it up at a game store in Buffalo when I was hanging out with a good friend.

Movie Poster from Web

So why is this movie so much fun to watch? It's not hugely mainstream, so it's not like everyone has seen it. It doesn't have the greatest special effects, You can tell the gorilla isn't real. There's no hard core fighting. Instead there's a baby outwitting 3 grown adults while following the storyline of his favorite book.

While this might sound absurd, I have to admit it's actually enjoyable. The movie itself has a lot of the classic comedy physical humour that you would associate with other humorous film, such as Home Alone or most of the Three Stooges material. It is a great example of how exaggeration can be used to create amusing situations in unexpected manners.

If the weather has you feeling a little down and you need a laugh, I highly recommend this movie. I don't know how hard it might be to find, but if you can find it, I hope you see why it makes me laugh. Not just small giggle laughs, mouth grin laughs. And I hope it turns the corners of your mouth up too.

Gaming : Quote Sheet From The Past

If you've ever done table top gaming (ok, any type of gaming actually) You know that there are often moments that end up causing a lot of laughter among a group of people. This particular quote sheet is kind of old, and comes from July 2007. I'm looking around to see what other sheets might be kicking around. I'll probably share them as well because it's amusing to remember the good times.

I believe these quotes are from a Ravenloft campaign. I had the quote sheet thanks to Keri.

The things you remember. The things you wish you could forget. You never know what shows up in the quote sheets.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tyler: Horror checks are kind of like sanity checks.
Keri: I keep hearing that as "whore checks."
Liz: Yeah, Joe, roll a whore check, you've got a bunch of women chasing after you not wearing anything.
Michelle: Wouldn't a whore check be to protect against STDs?

Tyler: Like level 0 village people.
Keri: What? Oh, you mean people from the village, not like Village People the band.
Michelle: You killed the Indian!

Tyler: Okay, Keri, you come into being tied up on a horse in the middle of the marsh.
Keri: Kinky.
Liz: Does she have clothing?
Tyler: *grabs dice*
Keri: What are you doing?
Michelle: He's rolling a clothing check.

Liz: So that's why I healed him, little one.
Michelle: I'm way the hell behind you. You're not making snide remarks to me.
Joe: She's talking to a snake or something.
Michelle: Yeah. "That's why I healed him" and then it's like *snap!* Aaahhh!

Liz: Because I'm within touch range and he's doing more damage than I am, I'm gonna grab him...
Tyler: Kinky.
Michelle: I'm telling you, that Book of Erotic Fantasy is going to come out any minute now.
Joe: I think I'm the wrong height for that.
Michelle: Roll for your sexual response to her touch. Oh, Joe, that was a BAD time to fumble.

Liz: I think it's a little too big. Pencil?
Keri: Wait, what about the pencil?
Michelle: I don't think I want to touch anything you've touched...

Great moments in precognition:
Michelle: Here comes a 1!
Joe: *rolls a 1*

Michelle: He kills the enemy and lops your head off. Everyone's a winner!

Keri: Okay, so I stand up and stop drowning?
Tyler: Hey, smarter than the ranger!

Keri: Wait, it's her horse? Why am I on her horse?
Liz: That's a good question. What're you doing with my horse?
Keri: Oh well, you know, he and I really hit it off, we eloped...
Michelle: Is bestiality okay in Ravenloft?
Liz: Probably!

Liz: Handle animal.
Keri: Emphasis on the "handle."
Tyler: Is that why the horse liked you so much?
Michelle: Man, that horse gets around. Oh, I get it. Whore-se.
Keri: Roll a whore check?
Michelle: This just keeps devolving.

Joe: The Circlet of Sex Change fell off.

Joe: Is there anything on this old hag? Oh, wait, I mean night-hag. Some kind of hag, anyway.

Joe: Do you know the Muffin Man?
Keri: Yes, in fact, I do. I killed him and brought him back as an undead creature, and he makes baked goods at my bidding.
Joe: Un-baked goods.

Joe: If we see a vampire, should we ask if he has wall meat?
Michelle: We should ask how well-cooked it is.

Liz: I'm going to assume you want it.
Michelle: *looks dismayed*
Keri: Informed consent! Informed consent!

Michelle: Can I appraise her gems even though she didn't ask, just to look?
Tyler: Sure, if you want to grab her gems.
Michelle: His gems. "Excuse me, sir, you seem very masculine, may I touch your gems?"

Tyler: *on the phone* Aside from the shit in the fridge?
Joe: Ew, you store it in there?
Keri: That's probably not sanitary.
Joe: I hope it has its own drawer, at least.

Michelle: Are you going to probe him with your wand? "You were turned into a mutant cow that was promptly eaten by the rest of the party."
Keri: *to Joe* Wouldn't that be cannibalism for you?

Liz: *looking at the book* Ew, what's that scary-looking thing?
Michelle: That's Joe.

Tyler: Which way do you want to go?
Keri: Can we go the way without the freaking dragon? Is there a sign saying "dragon this way, not dragon that way"?
Tyler: *chokes on his drink*
Michelle: You killed the DM!

Liz: I'm hanging out with the hottie.
Keri: Me? I'm creepy. I'd probably look at you like I want to kill you and nail your insides to a tree.

Michelle: You two get some sleep. Don't do anything funny.
Liz: Nothing kinky in the tent?
Keri: You, me, your insides, the tree...
Michelle: That sounds like a terrible song.

Liz: I miss my horse.
Michelle: Is that what you dream about at night?

Joe: *answers the phone* Hi, hon.
Liz: Is that Jacqueline?
Michelle: No, he regularly answers "Hi, hon" when his dad calls, actually.

Liz: I think there's something out there. You should go investigate. Come on, be a man!
Joe: I find it interesting that the fighter is sending the cleric out.

Joe: I can take out my fuzzy blue sack.
Liz: Do you need Joe's sack?
Keri: Don't we all. Don't we all.
Michelle: Do we all? Do we all?

Tyler: The remaining three rats run off into the water.
Liz: Wait, they go in water? They're water rats?
Joe: You do know rats go in water in the sewers, right?
Liz: Ew!
Keri: What did you think they did, ride on little rafts?
Jacqueline: That's where the Spanish got the idea for boats.
Michelle: Yeah. "Armada" came from an old Spanish word for rat.

Liz: Ratboat sounds like a racial slur.
Joe: For what race? Rat people?
Michelle: Hey, don't be dissing on Splinter!

Michelle: Everybody steals from everybody else.
Jacqueline: Really? I'm going to try that at the store. *eating motions* "Everyone steals from everyone! This is a P2P network!"

Michelle: It was too much Ravenloft! We can't take you to the zoo, you'll kill the peacocks.

Liz: Mark still comes! You just don't come!
Everyone: *chuckling, slowly building to laughter*
Liz: *long pause* Aaaugh!

Tyler: *on the phone* That's what you get for picking up four-year-olds.
Keri: What? Isn't that illegal?
Liz: Sounds kinky, Tyler.

Michelle: I have to find a way to get Guitar Hero here. The guitar controller doesn't fit in anything.
Tyler: Use a Bag of Holding?

Keri: The naked cowboy does not conform to your standards of beauty.

What's on Screen? : White Christmas

Every family has a tradition. Sometimes they fade away through the years, in favor of new things. But there's always a few that linger on for some people, for different reasons am sure. White Christmas is a family tradition that I really don't want to see die. It's a little complicated I suppose, or maybe some people might think my reasons for holding on so tightly to this movie are sad or convoluted. But I'm going to try and explain why this movie is important to me.

We're all trying to find a place to feel happy. Christmas is a time where it can be hard for people. There's loss that's happened during the year that can feel magnified around the holidays. There are some people who feel alone at the holidays, even when they're surrounded by others. People long for times in their past where they remember feeling happy.

White Christmas is a movie that my family used to watch at Christmas time with my grandparents. It's special because of that. But the reason why is because of a feeling of connection there was for the film for my grandfather. During the war he was part of the actual 151st Division. I don't really know much about it because I'm not old enough to remember much more than that, because I was reinformed the year I told my parents that's what I wanted for Christmas, a copy of the film.

So I'm sitting here after having watched it again, feeling nostalgic and teary eyed because I miss them. But the movie isn't sad, in fact it's quite positive. It's inspiring that sometimes with a little perseverance things can become more positive. Besides that it also plays with the idea of love being no ones business except the parties involved.

I don't know if I'm going to write another post before Christmas. But I want to get this out there. I know it can be a scary time of year. Emotionally and physically it can be taxing. So if anyone is having a rough time, I just want to share some important information again. In case anyone reading this is feeling depressed, distraught, or at the end of their rope. I'm sharing part of a post I made a while ago. Please have a safe holiday season, and don't give up.

(I know I've totally lost focus from discussing the film, but with the holiday looming I want to remind people that there is help.)

If you really are feeling as though there is nothing left for you, talk to somebody. Feelings change, and so do situations and the things that are happening around us. There are friends, and family who can help you. Or if you're uncomfortable approaching them you can talk to a counselor. If you still are unsure you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-888-273-8255. You can call and talk to them about anything. In fact they're available 24/7 if you need to talk about anything.

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE

More information can be found at the library, counselor centers or online if you want to learn more about this. Don't be afraid to reach out for help if you ever feel that death is your only option. If you don't ask for it, how can anyone be sure you need it? Also, please remember to be there for your friends. Don't blow them off if they mention wanting to hurt themselves, it's not a laughing matter.

Check these links for more information. Teenage Suicide Information  and Wiki Information on Suicide

Even a Fairy Godmother Needs a Break

I know that my writing of late has become very sporadic. Not only that, but it has also become uninformative. To put things simply, I don't feel inspired to say much. There are a lot of things that I could write, or look at. But what fun is there in making things up?

I kind of needed the break. We all need a break from what we're doing now and then, and for me this was an unplanned but useful amount of time. It's given me a chance to evaluate what we've been looking at and figure out what direction I want to go in from here.

So what has been going on behind the scenes here? To be blunt, nothing noteworthy. No, I'm not deathly ill. No, I have not managed to find a niche here yet. No, I most definitely have not forgotten the people that I love that are far away. They're just far away from me. And I am far, far, far away from them.

The funny thing is that my cousin told Squash that. Because he was using a map to learn about where we are. He thinks we're on a whole different planet. Or, in Far, Far Away like in the Shrek movies. He still wants me to go back. It's always 'come home'.

But it's hard to come home when you're not sure anymore exactly where home is. Home is a funny thing like that. Sometimes home is where everyone you know is. Sometimes it's the place where we hang our hats for a little while.  Other times it's where someone else is that makes it home to us.

I don't know where home is anymore.

Kind of sad in a way I suppose. But it's fair to say that the only way to figure out where home is is to evaluate the things that are valued. But how do you decide what really matters?

I really feel like I need a break at this point. I need something to go right. Something needs to happen that will shed some light on the directions I have to go in. But what?

I guess we'll just wait and see.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will try to get things back into an almost predictable order. After all we all like something we can predict.

Order can be nice in this chaotic world.

Through The Camera Lens

The world we live in is a place full of beautiful things. We often take it for granted, used to it's existence in our lives. When someone takes a moment to reflect on it though, we are amazed. Sometimes we have forgotten that the world can be beautiful. We get into this space in our minds where it is all ugly. But it is only as ugly as we want it to be. There is always something beautiful to be seen.

When I have a camera in my hands, I want to take pictures of everything I see. It doesn't matter what it is. I just want to be able to remember it. I will admit here, that my memory isn't all that good, I forget things very fast, and pictures are one of the things I have figured out that helps me to stay cohesive. But that's a whole different bushel of bananas.

When it comes to taking a picture, there is no right or wrong in my opinion. The purpose of the picture is to capture something that you see with your own eyes,enabling you to see this view in the future. Cloud formations, plants, animals, they are all different every time you see them. Although some people will say that they aren't I pose this questions. Are they permanent fixtures? Clouds move, rain falls, animals run and burrow. Plants change as the seasons move in turn. What you see one day may be gone the next, in some cases far faster than in others.

So what do we take pictures of? Should we just take them haphazardly for no reason? No, that's not what I'm trying to get  you to do. Instead you should think about what you're taking a picture of. Because when someone asks you what a picture is of or what it is for, you should have something to say.

An example. The other day Polke A. Dot and I went to Balboa Park. It was a rather busy day at the park, and there were a lot of people there. I was very surprised by this fact. We ended up slightly lost, though it meant we got to see a few areas in the park I hadn't seen yet. I was impressed by the beautiful buildings there (I always seem to be, every time I go there something new pops out at me).

We were walking around enjoying the slight breeze and people watching. When I noticed the interesting detailing along the building that houses the Sporting Museum here in San Diego. It's reminiscent of Aztec or Mayan work, and it's lovely. So here are two of the pictures that I took. They are very simple, and focus mostly on one thing.

Now why is it that out of all the pictures I took that day(around 15), These are the two that I like? For one thing they are timeless. There is no time in the picture, no people, no animals, nothing living. The top one does have some shadowing and light dabbling from the sunlight getting through the trees, but it adds to the shadowing in the sculpt detailing. The second one though, with the shift from the usual perspective is probably my favorite picture I took while we were at the park. I just like the way it feels.

You don't have to just take pictures people will immediately recognize. I wouldn't have a clue what these pictures were actually of if I hadn't taken them myself. So remember that what you see through your camera lens can be used for many things. Don't play it safe forever, especially now that many of us are using digital cameras. There's no film to develop, it's a low commitment level...

Take the picture!

First Test At Flight

This is my first post on this blog. It's not really a blog that's going to interest everyone in the world. But it's intended to help keep a log of events and offer a connection from me to my family, my nieces and nephews, cousins, brothers, and parents.

I know that people have a lot of different things that they enjoy in their lives, so this is a moment to share some of the things that I'm doing in mine to help us all stay connected. Not only that It's a way that we can remember memories in the future. Heaven forbid something happens that makes it so we forget.

Which means the next couple of days are going to have a few "catch up" and event type notices,so that we're all on the same page. We've done a lot in the past few days, and am happy to have done them with my family. So... uhm.. thanks for reading, and welcome to this blog.

This blog post is dedicated to Jax. We don't know you yet, and you don't know us, but... when you need us, we'll be here. You're not born yet, but baby XD you're already causing a stir.